Process for converting liquid pitch into a fragmentary, transportable form



Nov. 8, 1938. K. FEHR ET AL 2,136,208

PROCESS FOR CONVERTING LIQUID PITCH INTO A FRAGMENTARY, TRANSPORTABLE FORM Filed June 22, 1937 hvenfozs: 1m MN Patented. Nov. 8 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PROCESS FOR CONVERTING LIQUID PITCH INTO A FRAGMENTARY, TBANSPORTABLE FORM Karl Fehr, Erwin Heinemann. and Wilhelm Schneider, Rauxel, Westphalia, signers to the flrm 'Bii sellschaft, Berlin, Germany Germany, as-

e-Aktienge- Application .Innc :2, 1937, Serial No. 149,610 In Germany July 4, 1938 1 Claim- (01. 8H1) a highly heated residue is obtained which is not distillable without being decomposed. Similar residues are obtainedin the distillation of numerous other products such as, for instance, 10 petroleum, waxes etc. All these products are called pitches" such as coal-tar pitch. brown coal-tar pitch, wood-tar pitch, petroleum pitch etc. Their chemical constitutions show considerable diflferences. On the other hand their pyhsical properties show a great resemblance; they are dark colored, non-volatile, fusible products, insoluble in water and diillcultly or only partly soluble in organic solvents. In our present specification and claim the name pitch and pitches is to be understood as including all the above mentioned products and other similar distillation residues.

It is known that the further working up of pitch or pitch-like substances by chilling or pouring and comminuting the highly heated residue left behind in distillation retorts was hitherto attended with considerable difliculties. On the one hand the objectionable smell and dust accompanying the aforesaid residues constituted considerable disadvantages and on the other hand a considerable expenditure of power and work were necessary in order to convert larger masses of pitch into a fragmentary transportable form. According to our present invention the chilling or pouring and comminution of the pitch and pitch-like substances are effected in a simple manner without the occurrence of the aforesaid disadvantages of smell and dust and without considerable expenditure of power.

In carrying out our'invention the still liquid pitch is running oif into flowing water and is allowed to solidify and set therein. The solidified pitch whilst still hot is separated in a suitable manner from the water. After the separation from water on further cooling in the air it breaks up into fragments, constituting a transportable and substantially water-free. pitch. The water may be used in circulation. The temperature of the flowing. water and the relative proportions of water and pitch are so adjusted that the liquid pitch solidifies and the solidified pitch after separation from the. water still possesses sumcient latentheat to effect evaporation of the adhering moisture. The operations of chilling', comminuting and transporting the pitch can accordingly be combined into one operation.

Example 1 Hot liquid pitch at a temperature or 350 0.,

softening point 150 C., such as is obtained as distillation residue in the manufacture of hard pitch from coal tar is introduced in the form of a thin jet into a channel along which water at 40 C. flows. The pitch quickly sets with a smooth surface without the formation of scum and without water being enclosed in the solidifled pitch. For cooling and solidifying kgms. 'of pitch 2000 kgms. of flowing water at 40 C. may, for instance, be used. The solidifled pitch is conveyed by the water stream into a steeply inclined sieve or other suitable device, which is adapted to drain of! the water so that the still hot, solidifled pitch is to a large extent separated from the water. The temperature of the pitch now amounts to C. and the residual water still adhering to the pitch is evaporated by the latent heat of the pitch, which is then allowedto further cool down in the air. The individual pitch strands then break down on further cooling in the air into fragments, so that the end product constitutes a water-free, fragmentary and-transportable pitch. It can thereafter be loaded on to lorries by means of a chute or other known apparatus.

Example 2 The working up of a soft pitch from coal tar having a softening point of 70 C. is carried out Example 3 'Hot liquid pitch at a temperature of 250 C.,

- softening point C., such as is obtained, as

distillation residue, from petroleum runs oil! into flowing water at 20 C. The pitch sets, its temperature now amounting to 50 C. The further treatment is essentially carried out as described in Example 1;

The accompanying diagrammatic drawing serves to illustrate how the process of this invention may be carried into effect.

The pitch passes out of the container I, through the outlet 2 into a channel 3 which is fed from the container 5 with flowing water. The water and the pitch leave the channel at the inclined sieve l. The pitch falls into the conveyer apparatus, whilst the water is withdrawn over an inclined wall 6.

What we claim is:

A process for converting liquid pitch into a fragmentary, transportable form by running ofl the hot liquid pitch in a thin jet into flowing water, mechanically separating the solidified 10 pitch, whilst still hot, from the water, the remaining heat evaporating the adhering water from the pitch thus separated by exposing it to air at normal temperature whereby the dissipation of the retained heat in the separated pitch is effective to dry and i'ragment the same as it cools to normal temperature.

KARL FEHR. ERW'IN WILHELM SCHNEIDER. 

